The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-11
Not a Saloon Victory.
From the Houston Post.

From the Houston Post.
The Post is not going to preach ser
mon this morning on the lesson OF the
election" There Is nothing particular to
mcralize over, and the Post has no
bricks to fling at anybody. Prohibition
is defeated, as it deserved to be, and that
should end it. There is, however, one
point to which the Post desires to direct
attention, and upon that point to offer q
few suggestions. The result of the con-
test over the prohibition amendment in
dicates quite clearly one thing-that the
sentiment OF Texas is against that char
acter of legislation. The overwhelming
majority obtained by the ants, despite the
splendid organization of the opposition,
demonstrates this as fact beyond any
sort of doubt. There is no argument or
circumstance to gainsay this. The pro-
hibitionists started into the fight with q
decided advantage. They had all Of the
opposition to and prejudice against the
liquor traffic to assist their cause, and
they used this advantage for all it was
worth, even to the point of exaggeration
and unfairness. The opponents of the
amendment did not defend the whisky
traffic; they fought the battle on higher
grounds, pitted principle against preiu-
dice, and won q decisive victory. And this
brings the Post to the suggestion which
it started out to offer, namely, that this
is not victory of the saloons. Saloon
men deceive themselves if hey think so
1t is the triumph>Of a great principle of
government, in the vindication of which
the people were urged by considerations
above, beyond and entirely disconnected
with the saloon interests or the liquor
traffic. Had it have been a question
merely of the continuance of the saloons,
they would have been buried out of sight
by more than 100000 majority. But
that was not the fg1t-although the pro-
hibihon leaders tried to shape the cam
psign that way-the sooner the saloon
men recognize the fact, the better for
! themselves. Although saved from an
Inhalation, in business way, they can
not fail to know that a great, tremen-
dous, protest has been filed by more than
one hundred thousand people of Texas
1t will be the part of wisdom not to treat
this protest with Indifference, because the
same fight might come again, and next
time the victory might fall on the other
side. The liquor traffic must be con-
trolled and regulated, and those engaged
IN it must obey the law. Disregard of
law and the proprieties in the past has
built up the bitter opposition to the liquor
interests; if this disregard be continued
it will result, sooner or later, in stamping
them out. And unless they are properly
conducted; unless they are at all times
run in an orderly and lawful manner, and
unless they show disposition to respect
the rights of the community and society
generally, the saloons ought to be closeo
up. These suggestions are plain ant
easily understood. They may not be
needed, but the Post will not grleve ovel
that fact. 1t is not it's funeral, nor is 1
proposed to make it such, at this time o.
in the future. The Post, however, begs tc
suggest one thing in conclusion, which il
this: There were thousands of men il
Texas who voted against prohibition Wit
would gladly see every saloon in the stat,
closed up; these men may, as dernier re
sort against an evil, vote the other wa,
next time, if the public is to be furthe
provoked by the saloon interests as it ha
been provoked in the past.